Guwahati, March 2 : To provide quality medical treatment and maintain best practices in the diagnosis and care of elephants, a two-day International Elephant Health Care Workshop was held in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), a UNESCO World Heritage site.

KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that the workshop provided an in-depth understanding of elephant physiology, anatomy, behaviour, disease management, and practical medical procedures. She said that the two-day workshop (February 27-28) was organised aiming to procure deep knowledge about practical applications in elephant conservation and health care. The practical training camp at Kaziranga served as an extension of the workshop, allowing participants to implement their learnings while treating the elephants, the KNPTR Director said.

She said that positive reinforcement techniques that strengthen the bond between mahouts and their elephants were the key highlights of the practical training sessions. Teams of veterinarians and experts examined both the departmental and private elephants at Kaziranga National Park to provide direct medical care while demonstrating best practices in diagnosis and treatment.

Ghosh said that this hands-on approach ensured the application of advanced veterinary techniques in diverse environments, further strengthening conservation efforts.

Distinguished experts including Dr Susan K. Mikota, Director, Veterinary Programmes and Research, Elephant Care International, USA; Dr Willem Schaftenaar, Research Associate, Elephant Care International, Netherlands performed the leading role in the workshop. Dr N S Manoharan, Additional Director, Veterinary Service (Retd.), Tamil Nadu and Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, Manager and Head veterinarian, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) led the various treatment procedures on pain management, wound care, gastrointestinal issues and foot care, to name a few.

The event was organised by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and attended by 28 veterinarians, said Ghosh, a senior Indian Forest Service officer.

Earlier three months ago, in a first of its kind, two elephant Mahouts of KNPTR attended the 'Gentle Training Workshop' for elephant handlers, owners and carers at National Elephant Institute Lampang, Thailand. Two elephant Mahouts -- Kasim Ali (Kaziranga Range) and Sanjeev Pegu (Agoratoli Range) attended the three-day training workshop from November 6 to 8 last year.

The three-day event was organised by the Human-Elephant Learning Programs Foundation (H-ELP) and gave an introduction to the principles and practices aimed at advancing captive elephant welfare through an understanding of the most relevant scientific knowledge available and focused on positive reinforcement techniques. The Thailand training event was also attended by Mahouts from Nepal, Laos PDR, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

The KNPTR, measuring about 1,300 sq km, is home to more than 2,613 one-horned Indian rhinos. The world-famous park is not just a home of rhinos, but also to Asian elephants, Royal Bengal tigers, wild buffalos and many more animal species while it is also a habitat to thousands of birds of over 125 species.

India's seventh (fourth in natural) UNESCO World Heritage site, the KNPTR is spread across several districts of Assam, including Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur, and Biswanath.

/IANS